03

PROTEIN

Bio-Synergys comprehensive guide to

protein. In this short guide we explain

whatprotein is and how to use it to your

advantage to take your training and

recovery to the next level.

BIO-SYNERGY.UK

PROTEIN

Everyone knows that protein is

important for building and repairing

muscle fibres after exercise, but proteins in the body have thousands of

other essential roles, including:

• Producing antibodies for the immune

system

• Manufacturing hormones and

enzymes that are involved in most

reactions in your body

• Aiding in the digestion and absorption

of food

• Maximising the transport of oxygen to

tissues

• Providing structure for muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs, bones, hair, skin and all other tissues.

PROTEIN DIGESTION

AND ABSORPTION

The protein molecule is

broken down in the mouth

and small intestine.

You need to eat protein-containing foods

daily to obtain your daily requirements for

essential amino acids.

About 90% of the protein you eat is

broken down into amino acids and

becomes part of the amino acid “pool”

that the body draws upon when it needs

to build or repair muscles or other tissues

or do any of the other roles that the amino

acids play (The body excretes the other

10%).

Unlike carbohydrates and fat, which the body can store as glycogen or

triglycerides respectively for use later, amino acids have no form of storage in

the body, so it’s important to have some protein every day.

When you eat foods containing protein, the protein molecule is broken down in

the mouth and small intestine into its

amino acids. Once broken into amino

acids, three things can happen.

The amino acids can be:• Converted into glucose

• Converted into triglycerides land stored

as body fat

• Released into the blood stream as the

plasma protein or free amino acids to be

used as energy

When you eat enough protein to cover

your body’s amino acids needs, your body is considered to be in protein

equilibrium;

However, if you don’t eat enough, protein (usually from the muscles) is broken

down to fulfil the amino acids “pool.” If you consume more protein than your

body needs, the excess amino acids are broken down further and the nitrogen, ammonia uric acid and z are secreted

in urine, and part of the amino acid remaining can either be stored as body

fat or muscle.

AMINO ACIDS

Amino Acids are the building blocks of

protein and are necessary to support

muscle growth. Amino Acids are

usually categorised as essential and

nonessential.

There are eight essential amino acids, these amino acids are those that your

body cannot manufacture to create what

it needs for countless functions on its own

and must be obtained from foods and/or

supplementation. A non-essential amino

acid can be produced in the body by re-

configuring other amino acids to create what it needs for countless functions.

This process (re-configuring amino acids) in layman’s terms may be something like taking a piece of clay and reforming it

into something else so that the body can

use it in a different way.

Table of Essential & Non-Essential Amino

Acids8

• Nine Essential Amino Acids Non-

Essential Amino Acids

• Histidine Alanine*

• Isoleucine (BCAA) Arginine

• Leucine (BCAA) Asparagine

• Lysine Aspartic acid

• Methionine Cystine

• Phenylalanine Glutamic acid

• Threonine Glutamine

• Tryptophan Glycine

• Valine (BCAA) Proline

• Serine

• Tyrosine

*Histidine is an essential amino acid in

childhood and in a small percentage of

adults. As it is not essential to all adults, it is commonly classed as non essential.

For the purposes of this training material, neither classification is incorrect.

There are two general types of proteins: complete and incomplete. A complete

protein offers all of the essential amino

acids.

All animal proteins are complete proteins.

An incomplete protein is missing one or

more of the essential amino acids. Plant-

based proteins are generally incomplete.

Some of the proteins that we select

should be high in branched chain amino

acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are called

‘branched’ because of their molecular structure.

These amino acids are leucine, isoLeucine and valine. BCAAs are

important because a third of muscle

tissue is comprised of BCAAs. BCAAs

are depleted from muscle tissue during

strenuous exercise, being used as an energy source by the body.

Essentially, this means that we are losing muscle size during strenuous exercise.

That being the case, it makes sense to use a protein that is high in BCAAs to

replenish this lost tissue as quickly as

possible.

One type of protein may offer specific benefits that another protein may not. Since your body uses the different

attributes of proteins for a wide variety of

functions, it is best to consume several types of protein each day. For this reason

Bio-Synergy uses a blend of several

proteins in its formulas.

WHEY PROTEIN

Protein in an essential part of recovery

post exercise. Check out the video below

for an example of how protein is used

after the gym. There are two types of

proteins that come from milk; these are

whey and casein proteins. Whey protein

is derived from milk specifically from the process of making cheese.

During this process, the milk is curdled, separating the curd from the whey.

The whey is the syrupy liquid that you

sometimes see on top of cottage cheese.

The curd (cottage cheese) is pure casein

protein.

For many years, whey was discarded as a waste product from cheese

manufacturers. Eventually, it was decided that the cheese industry find alternate means of disposal or uses for whey.

As a result, whey was tested for what it contained. It was found that whey was

actually loaded with a variety of proteins

that were extremely high in quality and

contained better amino acid profiles (for humans) than beef.

Whey protein contains a high amount of

the specific amino acids that are most needed by humans. In addition, it was found that whey was not only extremely

digestible, it dissolved well in water (a convenient attribute for making whey in

nutritional supplements).

To make whey practical for use as a

nutritional supplement, methods were developed to separate the unwanted

components out, specifically lactose, cholesterol and sodium.

One process that has proven effective

but expensive, is cold ultra filtration – microfiltration. This process works by physically passing the whey through a

micro-filter, leaving some of the impurities behind.

The other method is through ion

exchange (also expensive) in which

the proteins are extracted by taking

advantage of their specific electronic charges (kind of like using a magnet).

Whey protein contains the highest

concentration of branched chain amino

acids (BCAAs) of any single protein

source. It is also rapidly absorbed into

the body. This makes whey protein an

excellent source of protein to use after

a strenuous workout to replenish the

BCAAs in muscle tissue quickly. Whey

protein also has properties that mxaay

help to support immune function, offer anti-oxidant protection, stimulate growth hormone production and assist in the

production of glutathione (the body’s natural anti-oxidant).

However, whey protein is low in phenylalanine (an essential amino acid), glutamine and arginine (two ‘conditionally

essential’ amino acids). These three amino acids are said to be the ‘limiting

factors’ of whey.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROTEIN

PRODUCT FOR YOUR GOALS

Understanding the individual health

and fitness goals of each user, we have developed a range of different products

to help you maximise your training.

Bio-Synergy Whey Better whether

your goal is packing on lean muscle, supporting your diet, improving recovery or taking your training to the next level

then Whey Better is the ideal protein.

Each serving contains up to 92% protein

(over 27g per 30g serving) per 100g and

6.7g BCAA’s (over 27g protein per 30g serving) and is manufactured right here

in the UK from the highest quality whey

protein isolate and is gluten & lactose

free. Whey Better is the perfect partner

whatever your goals, so if you want the UK’s most powerful protein, as voted by Men’s Health then choose from 7 delicious flavours and join the revolution.

For those who want a kickstart in the

morning, we recommend ActiVeman Oatein. Not only does Oatein contain over

20 grams of whey protein per serving, but also a blend of complex carbohydrates

that helps sustain slow releasing energy

all the way up until lunchtime.

For women, we have Active Woman Activate. With Vitamin D, B5, B6, calcium, zinc, and folic acid, Activate is primed to push you into the best shape of your life.

These vitamins play vital roles in efficient energy metabolism, and also help safeguard bones and sensitive muscle

tissues. Play smart and play safe with

Activate so you’ll never have to stop.

For the young and more gym focussed, Super7® Super Max whey protein

concentrate, is a protein that contains a unique blend of 7 key ingredients

created by experts to power you through

your workout and pack on lean pounds of

muscle.

High-quality protein is an integral part

of the diet and serves as the foundation

upon which sound nutritional protocols

are built. Super7® Super Max whey

protein concentrate is rich in high-quality

multi-source protein and contains 18.4

grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and 12 grams of carbohydrates per 30 gram

serving.

ISOLATE

CASEIN

There are many ways in which a protein

source can be extracted from raw

materials; some of these have been

explained earlier in this article. Under

some extraction processes a certain

amount of other by-products remain

alongside the protein, for example carbohydrates, fats, etc. With a protein isolate minimal by-product is left, meaning isolates are a purer protein

source.

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of protein contained in milk.

These proteins are separated during the

process of making cheese. During this

process, the milk is curdled, separating the curd from the whey.

As previously discussed, whey is the syrupy liquid that you sometimes see on

top of cottage cheese. The curd (cottage

cheese) is a pure casein protein.

Two of the primary benefits of casein are that it is slow digesting and is also very

high in the amino acidglutamine. Casein

tends to form a gel in the stomach, causing it to digest slowly, which may release amino acids over a period of

time into the system. This makes casein

an excellent protein source to use right

before bed as it may help to prevent

tissue breakdown while you sleep.

Also, protein sources with added casein may help to suppress the appetite

between meals, which is a key benefit for those on a restricted calorie diet.

Casein contains the highest

concentration of glutamine of any

single protein source. Glutamine is

a ‘conditionally’ essential amino acid necessary for tissue repair, volumisation,

immune support and overall muscle

growth.

Casein is typically seen in protein

blends in the form of calcium casein

ate, or sodium caseinate. The sodium or calcium simply comes from the milk as

it is naturally rich in these two minerals.

Casein is also seen as micellar casein

which is sometimes called ‘native milk

protein’. This form of casein has been unaltered from its natural state as it is

found in milk.

MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE

EGG ALBUMIN

SOY PROTEIN

Milk protein isolate is a combination of

the proteins found in milk, namely, whey and casein. For this reason, milk protein isolate will offer some of the inherent

benefits of each of these proteins. However, milk protein isolate is not as concentrated a protein source as whey

protein isolate or many casein proteins

by themselves.

Egg albumin (egg white protein) is one

of the best wholefood sources of protein.

Egg protein was formerly the ‘gold

standard’ of protein quality before whey isolates and soy isolate came along. Egg

albumin is still a very good source of

protein and helps to round out the amino

acid profile in protein blends.

Even though up to 38% of the bean is

protein, soy has never been considered to be a quality source of protein, especially in its unrefined form such as tofu. Because it is derived from a plant

source, soy has been looked upon as an inferior or incomplete protein and in its

usual form, may very well be.

Whole soy-meal products were used as

food additives for years before finding their way into the nutritional supplement

industry.

When it first entered the supplement market, soy came in the form of a crude soy-protein concentrate, which lacked a quality amino acid profile and was full of

carbohydrates and sodium.

Soy-protein isolate contains the highest

concentration of what is referred to as

the ‘Critical Cluster’. This combination of main amino acids contains the BCAAs

plus the amino acids glutamine and

arginine.

Soy-protein isolate may also assist a

healthy metabolism due to its ability to

support thyroid function. The thyroid

is an organ that helps to regulate the

metabolism. This is one reason why

soy-protein isolate may be effective for

people who are trying to lose body fat.

Your muscle is primarily water and

contains up to 20% protein by weight.

Here’s how a pound of muscle breaks down into components:• Water: 70 – 75%• Protein: 15 – 20%• Fat, glycogen, minerals: 5 – 7%

Work out exactly how much protein you

need based on your gender, age, weight and with our protein calculator

Protein Requirements for Active Individuals

The dietary recommendations for protein

for physically active individuals have

been hotly debated for years. The protein

requirements appear to be affected by

a variety of factors, including age, sex, exercise type, intensity and duration, training history, total calorie intake and timing of meals.

The protein requirements for athletes are

based on the requirements for specific essential amino acids; for example, the branched chain amino acid leucine is

used as fuel during exercise. One study

found that during two hours of exercising

at 50% VO2 max nearly 90% of the total daily requirements of leucine was burned

as fuel.

Both intensity and duration will increase

protein requirements. Resistance exercise

and endurance exercise both affect

protein utilisation. When beginning a

training program, the body uses a lot of additional protein until the body adapts to

the exercise program, usually happening in two or three weeks.

If you’re trying to lose weight, protein needs per pound of body weight are also

increased. This happens because as you

lose weight muscle protein is broken down

as an energy source.

Research has shown that consuming

1.6 grams of protein per pound of body

weight while dieting enabled subjects to maintain more muscle mass compared to

those who followed a traditional diet with .8

grams per pound of body weight. In order

to make the most of calories, high-quality

protein sources are important when

dieting to help maintain muscle mass

to keep metabolic rate high. Despite

increased protein requirements for active

athletes, there is no need to believe that more is better. The maximum protein the

body can utilise daily is about 1 gram

of protein per pound of body weight

or 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of

bodyweight.

Too much protein can lead to weight gain

(as fat), interfere with other nutrients and increase the load on the kidneys to excrete

additional nitrogen. Both intensity and

duration will increase protein requirements.

Resistance exercise and endurance

exercise both affect protein utilisation.

When beginning a training program, the body uses a lot of additional protein until

the body adapts to the exercise program, usually happening in two or three weeks.

If you’re trying to lose weight, protein needs per pound of body weight are also

increased. This happens because as you

lose weight muscle protein is broken down

as an energy source. Research has shown

that consuming 1.6 grams of protein

per pound of body weight while dieting

enabled subjects to maintain more muscle mass compared to those who followed a

traditional diet with .8 grams per pound of

body weight. In order to make the most of

calories, high-quality protein sources are important when dieting to help maintain

muscle mass to keep metabolic rate high.

Despite increased protein requirements

for active athletes, there is no need to believe that more is better. The maximum

protein the body can utilise daily is about 1

gram of protein per pound of body weight

or 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of

bodyweight.

Too much protein can lead to weight gain

(as fat), interfere with other nutrients and increase the load on the kidneys to excrete

additional nitrogen.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN IS IN

A POUND OF MUSCLE?

LOVE OUR

GUIDES?

Over the last 20 years Bio-Synergy has

been dedicated to creating products

that match the latest nutrition reports

and studies, and this is no different to our guides! If you want to read more

then head over to our blog, where you can find all the latest news, reports and articles.

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